1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle airbag system and, in particular, to an airbag restraining system which may be mounted in the vehicle armrest, the recliner covers or the side of the vehicle seat or between the driver and passenger seats.
2. Field of the Invention
Seat belts on both the driver and passenger sides have been installed in vehicles for many years in an attempt to reduce deaths and serious injuries resulting from collisions. More recently, airbag restraints have been installed in vehicles to provide an additional safety method. The typical airbag restrain is positioned in the steering wheel well to protect the driver and in a recess in the vehicle dashboard to protect the passenger.
In order to take into account injuries arising from side impacts, efforts have been made to install airbag restraint systems such that they protect the driver and front seat passenger from such injuries.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,277,441 to Sinnhuber discloses an airbag restrain system wherein a pair of airbags and their associated generators are positioned between the inner and outer walls of the vehicle door. In a first embodiment, the inner wall does not yield when the airbags are inflated to provide a yielding reenforcement in the transverse direction; in a second embodiment, the inner wall yields under the pressure of the deployed airbags. In a third embodiment, the generator and associated airbag are mounted in the vehicle seat support. In another variation, the patent discloses that the airbag may be positioned in an armrest of the seat in the inactivated state without setting forth any details of that configuration.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,316,336 to Hazu, et al discloses an airbag restraint system wherein the airbag is stored, in a folded state, in a space in a door or an armrest, laterally of a passenger in a vehicle cabin.
Although the Sinnhuber and Hazu, et al patents disclose various locations within the vehicle cabin for storing folded airbags, additional, less expensive and more effective locations are desired.